Even Steven Reads Val's Blog

I spoke too soon! Or DID I? Perhaps Val is an evil genius who set a trap for the elusive Even Steven, and fished him in like minnows after soggy cracker crumbs.

Seems like only yesterday [IT WAS] that I bemoaned the end of my lucky lottery streak. A day without a single win.

That situation has been rectified!

Since my little tickets had stopped winning for me, I decided to do the opposite. No, it is NOT a trick I learned from George Costanza. It's a tactic I have been using since the early days of scratching. If your strategy stops working, switch strategies! That's how I ended up with my $3 tickets to start with. I formerly eschewed them in favor of fives, but a slump led me to the smaller tickets.

I made a plan Monday night, to take some casino cash, and invest in a $50 ticket. That's the highest they go in Missouri. In fact, we didn't have one until this year. I played a couple (not on the same day!) when they first came out, just for the novelty of it. As I recall, I won back my $50 on one, and lost on one.

Anyhoo... I had my plan. To get that big fella at the Backroads Casey's. The Gas Station Chicken Store has TWO rolls of them going, which muddies the waters when I try to decide. I left home late, around 4:30, and was not feeling particularly lucky. I almost switched up to get it at the GSCS, but the voice in my head said: STICK TO THE PLAN! So I did. Even as I slid out of T-Hoe at the Backroads Casey's, I almost changed my mind.

Once inside, that big ticket did not give me a come-hither vibe. It was crooked in the case. Kind of dull. But still, I stuck with the plan. Which was to get that $50 ticket right there, and some of the newest $5 tickets there and at the GSCS and Country Mart. One for me, one for The Pony, and two to send Genius in the mail.

At home, I looked over the four new fives, and settled for the one numbered 057, since I'm the oldest of us all. Genius got 013 (the year he graduated) and 004 (for no reason except it was not close to 013). The Pony got 014 (just because that's how it worked out).

Here's my big ticket:

 

That's a $500 WINNER! I didn't even know what the symbol was when I scratched it off. I don't have this ticket memorized. I was just thrilled because I knew at worst, I was getting my $50 back. Here's what the top of the ticket looks like. It was too tall to fit into one picture.

 

It's not an interesting ticket, or even a pretty one. It's the color of our old state license plates. Kind of humdrum. But I'll sure take that $500!

Here's my new $5 ticket:

 

It won $50! Yay, me! This does not bode well for Genius and The Pony, but they have a fair enough chance. All four tickets were from different rolls. This ticket has four versions. I got the duck. Genius has a fisherman and a duck. The Pony has a deer. Nobody got the turkeys. I will be scanning this kind of ticket to enter the drawing for Hick. I don't desire a Big Cedar Lodge Getaway, but Hick does! On second thought... I DO desire one: for Hick.

We'll see if Genius or The Pony can win something. I wouldn't begrudge them a $500 prize.